Me and God
I heard
that some
people from
the back
hills of
Ohio believe
you should
never pray
if you have
alcohol on
your breath
but I can
only ever
even find
God when
I am drunk
he is the
guy at
the bar
who buys
me shots
and listens
as I talk
endlessly
about the
war and
gets me
drunk enough
to say
than you
for your
support
to every
dumb fucker
who thanks
me for
my service.
____________
The Motivational speaker
Was a
Marine about
35 who
lost both
legs in
Afghanistan
he said
it was
the most
important
thing to
have ever
happened
to him
outside of
having a
child
later I
tell him
I was
on Camp
Bastion working
in the
hospital the
same time
he lost
his legs
and he
says he
passed through
there on
his way
to Germany
he told
me and
everyone else
that he
died in
Bastion hospital
and I
wanted to
say I
died there
too but
this was
his story
and I
still have
both my
legs and
I am
Too old
to convince
myself that
any death
in that
war meant
anything
not his
not mine.
____________
The season
When heavy
horses trample
my smallest
dreams when
the slow
ox tries
the patience
of the
Buddha
when bear
skeletons decompose
faster than
my ambition
and the
path to
the elephants
graveyard is
littered with
burning tires
when old
stars fall
from moth
eaten skies
and you
feel certain
that hope
is a thing
without feathers
that it
doesn’t float
it just
sings off
key at
parties to
anyone who
will listen
like a
drunk uncle
at your
Christmas party
the one
you wish
would not
have come
at all
deuce coupe 